Monday, September 15, 2014

2014 Pure Silver 5oz Britannia Proof Coin

Following on from Robert Hunt’s 2013 Grecian Britannia, this year’s elegant yet powerful interpretation by Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark features an art deco Britannia, standing proudly in front of a three-dimensional globe, accompanied by a lion, its tail draped protectively around her feet.

Available in gold and silver, and in seven different sizes, most of them are only available in sets, something at which the Royal Mint excels.

For 2013 the Royal Mint satiated the appetites of proof coin collectors with a completely different design from the bullion that despite high prices was popular, no doubt due to the superb artwork.

For 2014 they’ve not only exceeded the high standard of last years artwork, they may just have released the most beautiful design in the Britannias history to date.

Britannia - A History

Britannia - the changing face of Britain - has represented the nation for almost 2,000 years. Synonymous with the British coinage for centuries, Britannia appeared on a flagship gold coin struck by The Royal Mint and named in her honour in 1987, she has remained ever since.

Britannia coins have over time become a showcase for British artists – the design selected for the Britannia of 2014 was created by Jody Clark, a talented Royal Mint engraver.

This new interpretation is contemporary, yet rich in imagery and fine details that simply gleam when perfected by The Royal Mint’s Proof finish. In a double show of British pride Britannia is joined by the lion, tamed at her feet with its tail protectively swept around her robes, the pair an enduring display of British courage and strength.

These elements are exquisite in one ounce of 999 fine silver on these wonderful coins all presented beautifully in a display case with booklet and Certificate of Authenticity. Only 2,500 of these coins are available in this Limited Edition Presentation.

While the history books reveal a wealth of famous men – kings, leaders and even mythical saints – females have long been celebrated on the coins of Britain struck by The Royal Mint, each revealing a story, immortalising the influential women forever.

The obverse of coins have traditionally featured the portraits of monarchs, Her Majesty The Queen can be seen on Britain’s circulating currency, the current iconic coinage portrait created by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The queens that have gone before her were also captured on the coinage of their reigns, not solely in their official effigy. A young Queen Victoria graced wonderful £5 pieces in the nineteenth century, her coinage portrait on the obverse and an attractive depiction of her as Una on its reverse, leading a lion inspired by Edmund Spenser’s poem, The Faerie Queene.

The resulting combination is undoubtedly one that blends the feminine with the masculine – the strong queen taming the unleashed might of the lion, a powerful display of strength and courage